9 and a half weeks
by MrsCuddles
Summary: "Maybe we should get you covered in melted chocolate..." The one time Paige Arkin tried to become the next cake boss. Fluff.


**Hello!**

**I promise, this is the last you'll hear of me in a long time. Meaning this might very well be my last one shot. I had originally planned to post it on Easter, but now I've got so many plans with so many people that my week's turned out to be really busy: studying, going out, meeting with old friends, more studying...**

**However, I hope you enjoy this?**

**It's something light and fluffy, which I'm sure you've never read from me, so it's a first :) It's a "true story", though. I've just passed a very difficult exam and one of my best male friend invited me over to celebrate our passing and everything happened just like that lol (minus the kissing and groping, obviously!)**

**A special thanks to MaskedMan2 to whom I should totally dedicate this to!**

**Happy Easter holidays, people!**

**\- xo**

* * *

Two warm hands were obscuring Mike's view, but the heady scent of the woman leading him to a remote and unknown part of the house forced his lips into a broad, amused smile.

"Eyes closed! Stop peeking!" Paige protested, clenching her fingers so that he couldn't see. Mike could smell the scent of acetone and nailpolish imprinted in the creases of her manicured hands.

"I'm not peeking!" He placed a hand on hers and kept taking small, uncertain steps. A cocky grin took over his face. "Are you naked, by any chance? 'Cause that'd tempt me to- _ouch_!"

Struggling to keep his balance, Mike stopped to touch his sore knee that had slammed into something sharp - a brick, or a railing, but he wasn't sure. With Paige, he never was.

"Sorry! But serves you right! "

"Are you trying to kill me, woman?"

Paige grimaced and pushed him forward to make him start moving again.

"If you're naked-"

"I'm not naked!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"So what-"

"Just stop talking! C'mon, it's a surprise!"

"Mpf."

Mike was considerably taller than her, but judging by how quickly he'd gone silent, Paige was pretty sure he was pouting. Even though she couldn't see his face, the thought of his lower lip jutting out made her smile.

"Okay, watch the step, watch the step... stop!" She instructed him, murmuring in his ear. "Ready? Ta-dah!"

Her hands slid away from his face and rested on his hips. She dropped an hesitant kiss on his shoulder, awaiting a response.

Mike scanned the table, confused: corn syrup, pecans, powdered sugar, molasses, baking soda, chocolate... all the ingredients his childhood favorite were there, the one he had told her about during one of their sleepless nights of surveillance the summer before.

"Wow... Um... I mean..."

"I'm cooking tonight, to celebrate!" Paige said, clapping her hands together.

The FBI agent looked back at her for a few seconds. He could hardly believe his ears. If he weren't so used to her body warmth now, he would've struggled to recognize her: this was the first time ever Paige had even tried to do something sweet and corny for him - for anybody.

It took him a few minutes to process it.

"Paige..." Mike made a face that looked like a suppressed laugh.

"What, you think it's a bad idea?"

She had never made a cake, but it couldn't be that difficult. She had tasted so many cakes in her life, she was pretty sure she could add and calibrate the ingredients to make one herself.

"This is a _terrible_ idea." Mike blurted out in a serious tone. His expression left no doubt about his skepticism on the matter. He quickly regretted his words when he saw the look of disappointment in her eyes. Squeezing her shoulder in apology, he brushed his lips over her cheek. "Sorry, but... wouldn't it be better if we just ordered take out?"

His offer only made the situation worse. They had yet to clear up where they currently stood in their relationship, where they were going with all this, but Mike had never been immune to the way she stuck out her lower lip and coquettishly fluttered her long eyelashes at him. It worked everytime and Mike was unable to deny her anything - he always gave in.

"Okay, never mind... what's the occasion?"

Paige gave him a light pat on the butt before pressing a loud kiss to his cheek. She moved across the kitchen to wash her hands and paid him little attention as she prepared whatever she needed and tried to answer his question simultaneously.

"Just so you know, I'm well aware that this might right be the stupidest decision of my entire life, but I'm doing it because I care, okay? So you have to promise you won't tell anyone about this. "

"Okay, I promise."

Paige eyed him for a second, surprised by how quickly he had agreed with her. She blurted out her reply and her cheeks reddened.

"_Nineandahalfweeks_."

"Excuse me?" Mike frowned, barely making out a word of what had just come out of her mouth.

"Nine and a half weeks." Paige repeated again, more clearly this time.

He scratched his head in confusion, following her movements as she filled a pot of water and placed it on the stove to boil. She was trying her best not to look embarrassed, but the more she thought about it, the more she regretted ever coming up with the idea. "It's been nine and a half weeks that you and I... yeah, well, that we started _sleepi_\- Don't look at me like that!"

Mike quickly shook his head and raised his hands. This was crazy, but it was also kind of endearing. Never in a million years he would've imagined this happening to him.

"Okay, okay. You need help?" He asked.

He reached for the chocolate, smiling unconsciously. Whatever this thing between them was, he liked it. Paige was wonderful and he was _so_ into her, but things were complicated – even more than when he'd left to go to DC and then come back months later only to find their unfinished business _hotter_ than ever. Literally.

He had to be careful if he didn't want everything to blow up in his face. He still needed to figure out if he wanted to stay or go back to DC once the case was over.

"Don't even think about it, Michael!" Like a wildcat, Paige sprung into action and slapped his hand away with a spatula. A red square-shaped mark lit up on the back of his hand. "You sit there on the stool and just look cute, I'll do everything."

Mike blinked and cursed under his breath, surprised. The look in her eyes filled with challenging sparkles forced a smile on his lips as he rubbed his sore hand.

"_Cute_?"

He raised his hands in surrender again when Paige shot him a warning look. His eyes watched her intensely, burning her skin.

"Uh uh. I'll even let you taste the batter. Maybe." She smiled flirtatiously, revealing those damn dimples that made him go crazy every time.

Defeated, Mike quietly sat down and bit his lip: Paige was definitely going to be the death of him.

* * *

It was well past midnight and the two agents were sitting on the kitchen floor with their backs resting against the counter, hidden from view. Paige had loosely thrown her legs over Mike's and let her bare feet trickle down his shins to brush against his white socked ones.

She bumped her shoulder with Mike's for the umpteenth time that night when he balled up his napkin and threw it in the pile of garbage scattered on the floor.

"Well, for one who's never even thought about baking, the result isn't bad at all... it's _terrifying_." He pointed out, eyeing a mushy and sugary mess that was supposed to be Mike's favorite childhood treat: a wet bottom _Shoofly cake_.

The cake didn't really look that appealing, despite Paige's desperate attempt of reading and following the recipe bit by bit. Mike still couldn't quite understand how she could be so comical and awkward with kitchen utensils, yet incredibly agile and tough when she used her weapons or her combat skills.

"Stop teasing me!" She moaned, smacking his chest: she was covered by a thin layer of flour and Mike was pretty sure that a good half of the ingredients were on her, but it was still the best non-meal he'd ever had.

"Aw. Five more minutes and you'd have baked yourself along with the cake."

He brushed a piece of batter off her hair and chuckled when she slapped his hand away. He pressed a smooth kiss to her temple, circling her shoulders with one arm to puller her close.

"You're exaggerating. It's not _that_ bad..." Paige averted her eyes and dipped her hand in the bag of popcorn laying in his lap.

She shoved a handful in her mouth. Needless to say, after the big failure of the night, they had ended up dining with popcorn and chips, courtesy of Jakes' not so '_secret_' hiding spot for his reserve. Thankfully, it looked like he had just filled it with junk food.

The cake's appearance wasn't the best, but they certainly couldn't deny the great scent that lingered in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the base tended to fall apart and there was no way it could be cut into edible slices. He could clearly distinguish the cooked parts from the less cooked parts, the various ingredients clotted and scattered here and there...

Mike stared at her with a goofy smile and she rolled her eyes in exasperation: okay, she had to admit it really looked like the cake had been smashed against a wall and then repeatedly trampled on by somebody wearing high heels, but at least she had tried.

"Okay, you're right, I'm not the next Julia Child, but my bourbon balls are really cute!"

Mike laughed, nodding vigorously as he gazed at her.

"You did make some pretty good bourbon balls."

"Thank you!" Paige puffed out her chest and threw one in her mouth. The two continued to eat, sharing silly jokes and fugitive laughs. Soon enough they were in each other's arms, sharing caresses and fleeting kisses – Paige was laying in Mike's lap, enjoying the feeling of his fingers through her hair.

She snuggled further in his warmth and her voice came out in a gentle sigh.

"I'm sorry I ruined your surprise... I really thought I could make it."

Mike left the gentlest kiss on her exposed shoulder, dragging his lips along the curve of her neck. "You'll just have to try again, then."

"And you'll taste it?" She raised an eyebrow at him and ran the tips of her fingers up and down his forearm.

"Of course." He brushed a tender kiss over her lips. "But maybe, try the dry bottom one next time... okay?"

"Right." Throwing her head back on his shoulder, the DEA agent let out a genuine chuckle and laced their fingers. "But I managed to get you the '_Cheerwine'_! Shouldn't I get bonus points for that?"

Mike's eyes ended up on the half empty bottle of cherry flavored drink and lit up with a sensual and flirtatious twinkle.

"Oh, you have no idea."

He brushed his thumb along Paige's high cheekbone. His mesmerized eyes lingered on her full lips as she dropped a kiss to the tip of his fingers. They slid down her chin to title her head up - their mouths met in a bruising kiss.

Paige kissed him fervently, letting him taste the chocolate on her tongue Mike's hand tickled her legs and his fingers slipped under the hem of her gray shorts. His thumb drew imaginary circles on her half bare thigh curled into his lap, while her hand dropped dangerously close to the front of his jeans.

"Paige..." Mike sighed hoarsely and short out of breath. "We should go upset-"

A furious gasp echoed in the kitchen and cut him off. The two looked at each other with wide, yet clouded eyes.

Squeezed even tighter by Mike's firm and altogether nervous hold, Paige collected her courage and peeked slightly from the safe shield that the counter had become: Charlie stood there, her face flushed in anger as she watched the chaos looming around_._

"_What the hell?! Who da fuck played _9 ½ weeks_ in my kitchen_?!"


End file.
